video: T.O.P’s album preview
When T.O.P (Choi Seung-hyun) confirmed that he would return with the album ANOTHER DIMENSION on April 3, the reaction on the Internet was almost predictable. Old fans cheered and called it the “legendary return”, and the media also constantly emphasised the comeback of this K-pop iconic figure. But under this excitement, a more disturbing fact is that feelings cannot erase the scandal, and it is impossible to guarantee the actual influence of an artist.
T.O.P Drug Abuse Incident Report
As a member of BIGBANG, T.O.P once stood at the centre of the K-pop globalisation wave. His deep voice and handsome image defined an era. However, all this took a turn in 2017 – he was prosecuted and convicted for smoking marijuana. In a society like South Korea that is highly sensitive to the drug problem, this is not only a legal issue, but also a serious blow to the public image. The scandal interrupted his career, and completely changed the public’s opinion of him.
Source: Tatat
But now, all of this seems to be being “repackaged”.
“He has already paid the price.”
“Everyone deserves a second chance.”
“He is still a legend.”
——The internet, on repeat.
These statements are not unreasonable, and forgiveness and change are certainly important. But K-pop is never just about personal growth, but also about public image, social influence, and the value orientation transmitted to tens of millions of fans.
More importantly, the industry he wants to return to has already changed its appearance. Today’s K-pop is faster and more competitive. The market is occupied by young artists, who maintain their popularity by continuously outputting content and interacting with global fans. According to the industry report of the website Soompi, the new generation of groups dominate the major charts and social platforms, redefining the standards of K-pop. In such an environment, returning to the “past status” will only become more and more out of place.
Sources: The.bigbang.arg
So what exactly are we celebrating? Is it music? Is it the artist himself? Or the glorious era of BIGBANG?
In the end, ANOTHER DIMENSION is not just an album, but more like a test of how much the audience is willing to turn a blind eye to the past, and also tests the time and fan culture, and whether it will easily dilute this controversy.
T.O.P’s return may briefly be on the hot search, but if the driving force of all this is just nostalgia, then what this return conveys is not so much his future as how easy it is for us to forget the past.
Han Tianyong 
Yinan Zhou 
Xinyue HOU